If you were told that you could get your whole house cleaned with a few things from the fridge or the larder, what would you say? Well, in fact, it is not far from the truth! Using things like Lemon, salt, vinegar and baking powder, you can get most of your home clean! Depending on the state of it, the whole house is pretty much covered by these natural foodstuffs that have great cleaning powers! Realistically the main place that will be difficult with these things is the oven, but if you clean that regularly enough, then there is no reason why you can’t maintain a decent level of cleanliness throughout! A few tips and tricks could be useful to get you on your way…

For a start, why are these things useful for cleaning? Well, lemon is acidic, which means that it kills bacteria, and cuts through grease. It also has a wonderful smell that makes the house feel fresh and clean even through the nose! Vinegar is also acidic, and whilst it may not smell as nice as lemon, can be used to absorb smells itself. Baking soda can also absorb smells, but it is mainly useful for being a carbonated reactant, which will speed up cleaning processes by making a fizzy effect as you clean. Salt is great for scrubbing away at harder dirt, and will have certain sanitizing qualities when it is dissolved in water. Olive oil can be used to treat wood and other materials that need polish and oiling, though in all honesty it is likely just as expensive as the normal products that you would use for such a job!

Try using a spray bottle of half water, half vinegar instead of your normal house hold cleaning product. You will no doubt find that you need a little more of it, but the fact is, it works just as well, and will cost you a fair amount less! For best results, use white vinegar that smells less strongly. Add lemon juice to the mix in order to get it all smelling a little nicer, and leave those surfaces looking fresh and clean! You will find that this recipe can be used on many surfaces, but if you are worried as to whether it can be used on a material that you have in your home, it is worth checking up online; you don’t want to ruin a nice countertop!

With regards to the bathroom, you will no doubt find that adding baking soda to the vinegar and lemon, with a little less water, makes a great fizzy cream cleaner. You should experiment with the amounts of each that you use, to find the mix that works best for you. Tape a sandwich bag round the taps in the bathroom and fill them with vinegar, seal and leave them overnight. In the morning, you should be able to simply rinse the limescale from them, as the acid will eat right through it. The same goes for the shower head; detach it and leave it in a bowl of vinegar, you will get the same results!

In the kitchen try adding a bowl of baking soda to the fridge to get rid of any smells, and if your clothes are a bit whiffy, then try putting a bowl of vinegar and hot water in a room with them, they should be smelling fine after a night or so!

There are tones of ways in which you can use different products to get the desired effect, so have a look online for more ideas!